This is not a verdict or a horror story, but just an everyday fact: all children are sick. Even the most caring parents. Even those who are looked after daily by a whole staff of nannies and nurses. And even more so, the most ordinary child, whose parents work 8 hours in the office, and grandparents live in another city, can sleep with a banal cold.
Yes, children get sick and do it often: for example, in the West it is believed that a child, on average, picks up viruses 2 times more often than adults, and if he goes to kindergarten or school, he may even complain of a cough or a sore throat every a month and a half. And this, of course, is not the most pleasant news for working parents, who in such cases each time have to reshape their schedule, ask their superiors for time off, or make excuses to clients or partners.
No matter how hard you try, in modern conditions it will not work just like that to go home, hiding behind the argument “work is not a wolf”: you will have to learn to combine caring for a child and visiting doctors with reporting and business negotiations. How? Family psychologists and career counselors have several useful life hacks for this.
Think about the child's illness in advance
No, this is not about disease prevention (although this is good too: for example, having noticed the first symptoms on Friday, you can try to cure the child over the weekend). The first thing a busy parent can do when their child is healthy is to make a plan in case (or rather, "when") the toddler gets an infection. It is always better to have instructions for the future in your head than to rush around the office at the moment X feverishly looking for someone who will be free and can sit with your child for the first time.
Talk to your superiors
If you are self-employed, your boss should be the first person in the office to know that a) you have a child and that b) he might get sick. Ideally, HR specialists advise you to clarify the issue with the schedule during the illness of children during the interview in order to find out the attitude of your future boss to forced time off, being late, working from home, and so on.
If it did not work out to discuss this issue at the interview, then it would be best to share your concerns and considerations with the authorities even before your baby really gets sick and you need relief at work.
Experts advise against letting bosses know the smallest details of a child's illness (no, he is not interested in how often your treasure coughs). It is much more important to clearly explain to the boss how long you will be away and how you plan to work out what you did not manage to do due to personal circumstances. Most likely, your boss will enter into your position, but do not miss the opportunity to show him that you are ready to do everything in your power so that your absence does not affect the results of work.
stay in touch
By law, you always have the right to take a day off at your own expense (or overtime), and yet the willingness to work even away from the office can seriously increase your value in the eyes of your boss, partners or clients. Often, some bosses turn a blind eye to the fact that their employees with children sometimes have to work "remotely", but in this case they really need to show that you are working, and not watching TV or sitting on social networks while your child sleeps in the nursery (see also: "How to ruin your career with one post on the social network: 17 real stories").
In this case, HR specialists advise to always keep in touch with colleagues, respond promptly to emails, or at least report that you understand the task and will return a little later with an answer. Corporate ethics remains corporate ethics, even if you feed your child cough syrup with one hand in a bathrobe and try to answer the mail with the other.
Don't hide from company management
Let's say your direct boss lets you go for a few days to look after your child, but what if your child's illness is chronic or needs long-term treatment? It is important to understand that if you systematically take time off, then the boss may also "ask" the leadership above. Will he be able to correctly explain the situation in your family?
A warning from the HR department will not only help you avoid conflicts and professional misunderstandings in the future, but also, possibly, give you the necessary patronage and loyalty from the top: loosening deadlines, increasing vacation time, providing additional insurance positions, and so on.
Find helpers
If both parents work in the family, you can try to coordinate the schedule of both so that each one will sit with the sick child in turn. Talk to your spouse or partner: it may be forgivable for some of you not to show up at work in the morning, and someone may well leave the office earlier than expected. In this regard, it will be useful for both to remember that while the child is sick, his working day will have to be shifted to the morning or evening.
It will not be superfluous to assemble a so-called "emergency" team. These can be grandparents, girlfriends, neighbors or other friends you trust and who can always look after the sick child and take him to the hospital if necessary.
However, do not forget that such a measure is an emergency (you are not going to exploit your friends and family?), So make sure that your “savior” is provided with everything necessary: the necessary medicines for the child and instructions for use, changeable a set of clothes, toys and so on.
If a nanny is already looking after your child on a permanent or temporary basis, agree with her in advance (or better write in the contract) about her schedule during the child's illness. Be prepared for the fact that she will require additional remuneration or hire someone with a medical degree who agrees to replace her (yes, there are such also).
Plan your expenses
Time is money. Nanny rewards, medications, travel expenses and paid appointments with doctors are all expenses that will not only provide your child with proper care during an illness, but also save you precious time by looking after your baby, you also managed to work effectively. Sometimes, these can be quite large expenses, and yet they are needed: that is why many consultants advise, when planning expenses for a child, to set aside a certain amount for an emergency (which is the disease) and in no case touch it until the right moment. Sooner or later you will need it anyway (read also: "The Latte Principle: 7 Financial Mistakes That Prevent Us From Being Richer Than We Are").
Is he sick?
If early in the morning your child with a face full of true suffering tells you “Mom, I feel bad,” do not rush to ask the authorities for leave. It may be worth asking yourself these 5 questions to understand if he is really sick or if he has an inflammation of the cunning.
# 1 Is your son or daughter having a test at school? (The upcoming test is bad for the health of those who walked instead of teaching).
# 2 Are all okay with his symptoms? (As a rule, a stuffy nose and stomach pains only in the imagination of a child can be symptoms of the same disease).
# 3 Is he eating? (Healthy appetite and fever? It's unlikely.)
# 4 Does your head hurt for just a minute and then your stomach hurts right away? (Far-fetched symptoms often go away quickly.)
# 5 How soon does the disease subside? (Be on the lookout if your baby barely moves with you, and, once in his room, dances to the music and plays the console).
Photo: Getty Images
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